Aircraft door arrangement

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an aircraft door arrangement, especially for an aeroplane, said arrangement comprising a door, a doorframe, a supporting section with a pivotal axis (AD) on the door side, along which the door is pivotably positioned, and a pivotal axis (AF) on the frame side, along which the supporting section ( 8 ) is pivotably positioned on the door frame. At least the pivotal axis (AD) on the door side is defined by two articulations (G 1 , G 2 ) which are interspaced in the vertical direction (Y) of the supporting section ( 8 ), at least one (G 1 ; G 2 ) of said articulations comprising two vertically (Y) interspaced bearings (L 1   a , L 1   b ). The inventive door arrangement also comprises a pivotal drive ( 10 ) which is arranged on the door side of the supporting section ( 8 ) and is used to pivot the door, and an output element ( 12; 14, 16 ) which is coupled to the pivotal drive ( 10 ) and the door and transfers an actuating movement of the pivotal drive ( 10 ) to the door. Said aircraft door arrangement is characterised in that one (L 1   b ) of the two bearings (L 1   a , L 1   b ) of at least one (G 1 ) of the articulations (G 1 , G 2 ) on the frame side is embodied (L 1 B) as a pivotal drive mounting ( 34 ) to which the pivotal drive ( 10 ) is fixed.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an aircraft door arrangement,especially for an airplane and, in turn, especially for an airplane witha pressurized cabin.

STATE OF THE ART

From various types of aircraft that have been in operation for a longtime, an aircraft door arrangement is known that comprises a door, adoor frame and a support arm 102, as depicted in FIG. 5. This supportarm 102 has a pivoting axis AD on the door side, on which the door ismounted so as to swivel, and it has a pivoting axis AF on the frameside, on which the support arm 102 is mounted so as to swivel on thedoor frame. The pivoting axis AD on the door side is defined by twoarticulated joints G1, G2 positioned at a distance from each other inthe vertical direction Y of the support arm, each articulated jointcomprising two bifurcated bearings L1 a, L1 b, L2 a, L2 b which arepositioned at a distance from each other in the vertical direction Y andwhich are each formed by two eye plates. The door arrangement has apivoting drive 104 that serves to swivel the door. This pivoting drive104 is configured as a linear actuator arranged laterally on the supportarm 102, said actuator extending essentially over the entire width ofthe support arm 102. The left-hand side of the actuator 104 in thedrawing is attached to the support arm 102 while its right-hand side isattached to a moveable driven element 106. This driven element 106, inturn, is coupled to the door and transmits an actuating movement of theactuator 104 to the door. As can be seen in the drawing, this mode ofconstruction calls for a separate bearing arrangement 108 for the drivenelement 106, an intermediate lever 110 and numerous other components, anapproach that has a detrimental effect on the overall weight of the doorstructure. Moreover, due to the linear actuator 104, which is installedlaterally, the support arm 102 has to have a considerable overall depth.Furthermore, this gives rise to long load paths. Due to the describedmode of construction, the support arm 102 is also subject to arelatively high load stemming from the reaction forces of the actuator104. Consequently, the occurring forces have to be absorbed by componentareas that are dimensioned to be correspondingly stronger which, inturn, increases the weight. This prior-art door arrangement is quitecomplex and costly.

The applicant's not previously published document DE 10207033 disclosesan aircraft door arrangement for an airplane as shown in FIG. 6.According to the generic part of claim 1, this aircraft door arrangementcomprises the following: a door 2; a door structure 4; a door frame 6; asupport arm 8 with a pivoting axis AD on the door side, on which thedoor 2 is mounted so as to swivel, and a pivoting axis AF on the frameside, on which the support arm 8 is mounted so as to swivel on the doorframe 6, whereby at least the pivoting axis AD on the door side isdefined by two articulated joints G1, G2 positioned at a distance fromeach other in the vertical direction Y of the support arm 8, whereby atleast one of said articulated joints comprises two bearings positionedat a distance from each other in the vertical direction Y (see, inparticular, FIG. 7); a pivoting drive 10 that is arranged in the area ofthe support arm 8 on the door side and that serves to swivel the door 2;and a driven element 12 that is coupled to the pivoting drive 10 and tothe door 2 and that transmits an actuating movement of the pivotingdrive 10 to the door 2. On the side of the support arm 8, the drivenelement 12 encompasses a universal joint 14 arranged in the area of theupper articulated joint G1 on the door side and an upper triangular arm16 attached thereto and extending all the way to the door 2. A universaljoint and a lower triangular arm 18 are likewise provided on the lowerarticulated joint G2 on the door side. The latter two parts, however,are not driven.

In the locked state, the door is locked by means of locking elements inthe door frame 6 and it is laterally supported by means of radial, thatis to say, lateral, contact mountings 20 that serve to provide thelateral guidance and that are present on the door 2 as well as on thedoor frame 6.

When the door 2 is opened and closed, a kinematic door system determinesthe movements of the door 2 that occur relative to the door framestructure or to the fuselage of the aircraft. In a door arrangementaccording to DE 10207033, two drive lines, which are uncoupled from eachother, namely, a kinematic lifting system and a kinematic swivelingsystem, are normally provided in the kinematic door system.

The kinematic lifting system is needed during the opening phase of thedoor 2 in order to lift the door 2 and to separate the radial contactmountings 20 from each other. Said system also comprises several shafts22 which can be actuated manually, for example, by a hand lever. Theturning of the shafts 22 causes a relative movement between the supportarm 8 and the triangular arms 16, 18 to be generated by theparallelogram consisting of the “door 2—upper triangular arm 16—supportarm 8—lower triangular arm 18—door 2”, said movement ensuring that thedoor 2 is lifted. During the lifting process, the door 2 is guided in adefined manner in so-called guiding plates 24 on the fuselage side.During a closing phase of the door 2, the kinematic lifting systemfunctions analogously in the opposite direction as a kinematic loweringsystem. The kinematic swiveling system has the task of swiveling thedoor 2 to the side after it has been lifted. The kinematic swivelingsystem is actuated via the pivoting drive 10 (here, an electricactuator). The door 2 is swiveled open by means of the parallelogramconsisting of the “door 2—triangular arms 16, 18—support arm 8—doorframe structure 6—control arm 26—door 2” and it starts when the actuator10 initiates a torque onto the support arm 8. During a closing phase ofthe door 2, the door 2 is swiveled closed analogously in the oppositedirection.

FIG. 7, which shows a third, not previously published state of the art,is an enlarged view of a partial area of a support arm 8 in the area ofan upper articulated joint G1 on the door side. The support arm 8 isstructured in a similar manner to the support arm of FIG. 6. Clearlyvisible in FIG. 7 are the two bearings L1 a, L1 b which are positionedat a distance from each other in the vertical direction and which areformed by two eye plates that create a bifurcated hinge connection. Thedriven element 12 (here, a universal joint 14 with the upper triangulararm 16) is arranged between the two eye plates. A load-transmissionmeans 28 of the pivoting drive (not shown here) engages below thearticulated joint G1. This load-transmission means 28 is axially andnon-rotatably connected via a shaft 30 to a pivot pin 32 of theuniversal joint 14 that serves as a hinge pin. As can be seen in thedrawing, the load-transmission means 28 or its shaft 30 has to bemounted on and held by at least one additional bearing Lx in addition tothe bearing L1 b, which it also utilizes. In view of the large number ofbearings L1 a, L1 b, Lx needed and the height of the space required forthe load-transmission means 28 or its shaft 30, this causes the supportarm 8 to have a great overall height and results in a complexarrangement of the pivoting drive, so that numerous attachment pointsare needed for the pivoting drive. Moreover, this likewise makesassembly and disassembly of the pivoting drive more difficult.Furthermore, with such an arrangement, it is very difficult orimpossible to compensate for alignment flaws of the pivoting drive andother components that lie in the vicinity of the load or torquetransmission path of the pivoting drive, in other words, separatebalancing devices have to be installed. This not only results in acomplex structure, but also in an increased weight of the doorconstruction and has a detrimental effect on both the function and theservice life of the pivoting drive.

Moreover, aircraft door arrangements generally entail the problem thatthe doors are subject to high stress caused by external loads such as,for instance, wind loads, blocking of the door and the like. Theseexternal loads exert particular stress on the bearings of the supportarm on the door side, they deform the support arm and give rise toconsiderable stresses, distortion and bending of the pivoting drive,especially of its driven member, which likewise has a detrimental effecton the function and service life of the pivoting drive. In case ofdamage or wear and tear of the door attachment elements, of the supportarm or of the bearings of the pivoting drive in prior-art aircraft doorarrangements, it is hardly possible to repair the support arm. As aconsequence, it is usually necessary to replace the entire support arm,which increases the repair or maintenance costs.

Presentation of the Invention

The invention is based on the objective or technical problem of creatinga simple and effective aircraft door arrangement that avoids, to thegreatest extent possible, the above-mentioned drawbacks associated withthe state of the art.

This objective is achieved with a door arrangement having the featuresof claim 1.

The aircraft door arrangement according to the invention, especially foran airplane, comprises the following: a door; a door frame; a supportarm with a pivoting axis on the door side, on which the door is mountedso as to swivel, and a pivoting axis on the frame side, on which thesupport arm is mounted so as to swivel on the door frame, whereby atleast the pivoting axis on the door side is defined by two articulatedjoints positioned at a distance from each other in the verticaldirection of the support arm, whereby at least one of said articulatedjoints has two bearings positioned at a distance from each other; apivoting drive that is arranged in the area of the support arm on thedoor side and that serves to swivel the door; and a driven element thatis coupled to the pivoting drive and to the door and that transmits anactuating movement of the pivoting drive to the door. The aircraft doorarrangement according to the invention is characterized in that one ofthe two bearings of at least one of the articulated joints on the frameside (or else of both articulated joints) is configured as a pivotingdrive mounting to which the pivoting drive is attached.

In other words, one bearing has been replaced by the pivoting drivemounting. The articulated joint in question is now formed by thepivoting drive mounting (or by the components attached to this mounting)and by the other bearing of this articulated joint. As a result, thepivoting drive can only be attached and mounted on bearings in onesingle place, namely, on the pivoting drive mounting, and consequentlyit can be installed in the immediate vicinity of an articulated jointand of the driven element. This translates into short and clear-cut loadpaths or load flows. Therefore, the pivoting drive mounting, whichconcurrently effectuates the bearing and attachment of the pivotingdrive, mechanically introduces the reaction forces of the pivoting drivethat occur during operation into the support arm in a very favorablemanner.

Moreover, a simple, detachable attachment of the pivoting drive to thepivoting drive mounting (for example, by means of fitting pins, fittingbolts and the like) is possible. The direct attachment or suspension ofthe pivoting drive on the pivoting drive mounting—which, in a manner ofspeaking, is a bearing itself and is thus in the immediate vicinity ofan articulated joint site—also allows a simple and effective alignmentof the pivoting drive and thus a simple compensation for alignment flawswithout additional, complex and heavy balancing devices. The pivotingdrive, especially its driven member, can be aligned or centered directlyon the pivoting drive mounting.

As a result of incorporating the pivoting drive in the immediatevicinity of an articulated joint or of a bearing of this articulatedjoint, no distortion or bending of the pivoting drive or of its drivenmember occurs when the door and the bearings of the support arm on thedoor side are subjected to an external load. Rather, when the supportarm or the bearings are deformed, the pivoting drive can follow thesemovements load-free due to the fact that it is directly coupled orconnected to the pivoting drive mounting. This makes a majorcontribution to improving the function and service life of the pivotingdrive and thus to greater operating safety of the entire aircraft doorarrangement.

Owing to the replacement of one bearing of the particular articulatedjoint by the pivoting drive mounting, which itself or whose componentsassume a bearing function, and owing to the direct connection of thepivoting drive to this mounting, the overall space required for thispart of the kinematic door system can be reduced or the space present ina support arm construction, especially the available height, can bebetter utilized and can serve for the integration of the pivoting driveinto the support arm structure. In comparison to prior-art doorarrangements, in which the pivoting drive extends laterally on thesupport arm, the door arrangement according to the invention can beconstructed so as to be much narrower or thinner. As can be seen, forexample, in a comparison with FIG. 7, in the case of the solutionaccording to the invention, it is possible to dispense with theadditional bearings that have been needed so far for the separateload-transmission means of a conventional pivoting drive.

Reducing the required space also allows excellent accessibility to thepivoting drive. If necessary, the pivoting drive can be easily detachedfrom or attached to the pivoting drive mounting, which renders theassembly and disassembly work quick and easy. In this context, there isno need to disassemble the entire door. In case of damage or wear andtear of the attachment or bearing of the pivoting drive, the ease withwhich the pivoting drive mounting can be replaced means that it islikewise not necessary to replace the entire support arm. On thecontrary, in many cases, it will be sufficient to merely replace thepivoting drive mounting. This is also advantageous when it comes torepairing the support arm. In this manner, maintenance and repair workcan be simplified and costs for repair and maintenance can be cut.

Furthermore, in comparison to conventional constructions, the aircraftdoor arrangement according to the invention also drastically reduces thenumber of components needed for the door opening and closing functionswhich, in turn, lowers the weight and contributes to a lightweightconstruction.

The above-mentioned advantages are made possible particularly by thepivoting drive mounting, by its special arrangement and by its multiplefunctions.

Other preferred and advantageous embodiment features of the aircraftdoor arrangement according to the invention are the subject matter ofthe subordinate claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention with additional configurationdetails and other advantages will be described and explained in greaterdepth below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following is shown:

FIG. 1—a schematic perspective view of an essential component, that isto say, a support arm, of an aircraft door arrangement according to theinvention;

FIG. 2—an enlarged, perspective detailed view of the right-hand, upperarea of the image from FIG. 1;

FIG. 3—a schematic sectional view along the line III-III of FIG. 1 forpurposes of illustrating a first articulated joint variant of a supportarm realized with a pivoting drive mounting;

FIG. 4—a sectional view analogous to FIG. 3 for purposes of illustratinga second articulated joint variant of a support arm realized with apivoting drive mounting;

FIG. 5—a schematic perspective view of an aircraft door arrangementaccording to a first state of the art;

FIG. 6—a schematic perspective view of an aircraft door arrangementaccording to a second, not previously published state of the art, and

FIG. 7—a support arm of an aircraft door arrangement according to athird, not previously published state of the art.

PRESENTATION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For purposes of avoiding duplications in the description that follows aswell as in the figures, parts and components that are the same will bedesignated with the same reference numerals insofar as no furtherdifferentiation is necessary.

An aircraft door arrangement according to the invention (here, for anairplane with a pressurized cabin), in the present embodiment, like inthe state of the art according to FIG. 6 (corresponding referencenumerals are employed), comprises an airplane door 2 designed as apassenger door, with a door structure 4 and a door frame 6 that isformed by a frame structure of the fuselage. Moreover, the doorarrangement comprises a support arm 8 that is preferably made of fibercomposite material (for instance, carbon fiber reinforced plastic—CRP),of an aluminum alloy or of another suitable material or materialcombination. The support arm 8 has a pivoting axis AD on the door side,on which the door 2 is mounted so as to swivel laterally, while it has apivoting axis AF on the frame side, on which the support arm 8 ismounted so as to swivel on the door frame 6. In an area of the supportarm 8 on the door side, there is a pivoting drive 10 that serves toswivel the door 2. In the present case, this pivoting drive 10 is anelectromechanical rotary actuator. The invention, however, is notrestricted exclusively to this type of pivoting drive. Depending on theapplication case, other suitable pivoting drives such as, for example,hydraulic or pneumatic actuators, can also be used.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an essential component,that is to say, the support arm 8 of an aircraft door arrangementaccording to the invention equipped with the pivoting drive 10. As canbe seen in this drawing, the pivoting axis AF of the support arm 8 onthe frame side, that is to say, the pivoting axis AF belonging to thedoor frame, is defined by two bifurcated articulated joints G3, G4positioned at a distance from each other in the vertical direction Y ofthe support arm 8. Each articulated joint G3, G4 has two bearings L3 a,L3 b, L4 a, L4 b that are positioned at a distance from each other inthe vertical direction Y. Each of these bearings L3 a, L3 b, L4 a, L4 bis formed by an eye plate.

The pivoting axis AD of the support arm 8 on the door side, that is tosay, the pivoting axis AD belonging to the door 2, is defined by twoarticulated joints G1, G2 positioned at a distance from each other inthe vertical direction Y of the support arm 8. The lower articulatedjoint G2 is designed similarly to the articulated joints G3 and G4, inother words, it is bifurcated and has two bearings L2 a, L2 b at adistance from each other in the vertical direction Y, which are eachformed by an eye plate.

In contrast, the upper articulated joint G1 likewise has two bearings ata distance from each other in the vertical direction Y, but thisarticulated joint construction is designed fundamentally differentlyfrom the articulated joints G2, G3 and G4. To be more precise, one(here, L1B) of the two bearings L1 a, L1B of the upper articulated jointG1 on the frame side is configured as a pivoting drive mounting 34 towhich the pivoting drive 10 is attached. As can be seen in FIG. 1, thepivoting drive mounting 34 (or else components or areasthereof)—relative to vertical direction Y of the support arm—now formsthe lower bearing L1B of the upper articulated joint (G1) of the twoarticulated joints G1, G2 on the door side.

It should be mentioned at this juncture that, depending on the designand positioning of the support arm 10 and on the requisite arrangementof the pivoting drive 10, the pivoting drive mounting 34—relative tovertical direction Y of the support arm 8—can, of course, also form theupper bearing L2 a of the lower articulated joint (G2) of the twoarticulated joints G1, G2.

Moreover, as set forth in the invention, a construction can be realized,for example, with two pivoting drives, in which there are two pivotingdrive mountings, namely, one on articulated joint G1 and the other onarticulated joint G2, according to the arrangement described in the lastand next-to-last paragraphs.

The pivoting drive mounting 34 is preferably designed as an integralcomponent (made, for instance, of aluminum alloy or titanium alloy,fiber composite material or the like) although, as a matter ofprinciple, it can also be configured as a differential part. If thepivoting drive mounting 34 is positioned sufficiently precisely on thesupport arm 8, then said mounting can already be prepared or completelypre-assembled or else it can be reworked once it has been installed,that is to say, on the support arm 8, in order to achieve a precisealignment and positioning of the pivoting drive 10.

FIG. 2, which is an enlarged, perspective detailed view of theright-hand, upper area of the image from FIG. 1, shows additionaldetails of the door arrangement according to the invention in the areaof the articulated joint G1 of the support arm 8. In this example, thepivoting drive mounting 34 is configured as a separate part and it has asupport arm attachment section 36 which, in this case, is designed so asto be bifurcated or claw-like and it also grasps two sides on the freeedge of the support arm 8. Here, the inner surfaces of the bifurcatedareas of the support arm attachment section 36 form contact surfacesthat lie against the corresponding side surfaces of the support arm 8.The pivoting drive mounting 34 is detachably affixed to the support arm8 by means of suitable attachment means 38. These attachment means 38are screw bolts, fitting bolts and the like.

Moreover, the pivoting drive mounting 34 has a plate-like pivoting driveattachment section 40 (hereinafter referred to as baseplate 40)extending essentially vertically (and thus approximately in an X-Zplane) with respect to the pivoting axis AD on the door side, wherebysaid baseplate 40 has a passage opening 42 and can be connected to afront section or flange 44 of the pivoting drive 10. Express mention ishereby made of the fact that the invention is not restricted to thisconcrete embodiment of the pivoting drive attachment section 40. It goeswithout saying that the pivoting drive attachment section 40 can also bedesigned or shaped differently so as to be adapted to the particulartype of pivoting drive used and to its adapter means. As can be seen inFIG. 2, the baseplate 40 laterally makes a transition to the support armattachment section 36 or ends in the appertaining bifurcated areas ofthe support arm attachment section 36.

Above the baseplate 40 and at a distance thereto, the pivoting drivemounting 34 has a bearing section 46 (hereinafter referred to as bearingplate 46) with a bore and at least one bearing element 48 arranged inthis bore (see FIG. 3), thus forming the bearing LIB of the articulatedjoint G1. According to the depiction in FIG. 2, the bearing plate 46makes a transition to the support arm attachment section 36 on theleft-hand side. Moreover, the bearing plate 46 is connected to thebaseplate 40 by means of several ribs 50. The mode of constructiondescribed above essentially achieves lightweight construction and thus alow weight of the pivoting drive mounting 34. As a matter of principle,however, the pivoting drive mounting 34 can also be configured, forinstance, with uninterrupted material transitions leading from thebaseplate 40 to the bearing plate 46 and to the support arm attachmentsection 36 and the like, for example, in the form of a continuousconnecting wall between the above-mentioned elements. Other, moremassive modes of construction are likewise conceivable.

It can also be seen in FIG. 2 that the pivoting drive 10, via its frontflange 44, is placed on the baseplate 40 from below and attached to saidbaseplate 40 in a detachable manner by means of attachment means 52 suchas, for example, a screw-in connection or fitting pins and/or fittingbolts and the like. Here, an upper flange surface of the pivoting drive10 is in contact with a lower contact surface of the baseplate 40. Thecontact reaction that occurs during operation due to the driving torqueof the pivoting drive 10 is introduced in a positive manner into thepivoting drive mounting 34 via the attachment means 52 (or partsthereof), said mounting 34 then transmitting these forces to the supportarm 8. However, a force transmission from the pivoting drive 10 to thepivoting drive mounting 34 can fundamentally also be achieved in anon-positive manner.

With the door arrangement according to the invention as shown in thisembodiment, the pivoting drive 10 is arranged in the pivoting axis AD onthe door side and between the two articulated joints G1 and G2. In thiscontext, the pivoting axis AD on the door side runs right through thepivoting drive 10. Moreover, the pivoting drive 10 is arranged so as tobe centered relative to the pivoting axis AD on the door side, so thatthe driven axis of the pivoting drive 10 is flush with the pivoting axisAD of the support arm 8 on the door side. The pivoting drive 10 or itsdriven axis can be aligned in a precisely flush manner in the mountedstate of the pivoting drive 10, for example, by changing the position ofthe pivoting drive mounting 34 on the side of the support arm attachmentsection 36. Once in a suitable position, the support arm attachmentsection 36 can then be securely connected to the support arm 8. For thispurpose, appropriate adjustment means can be provided on the support armattachment section 36, on the support arm 8 itself or on the attachmentmeans 38. If, in contrast, the support arm attachment section 36 isalready attached in its final position on the support arm 8, then theposition of the pivoting drive 10 can be adjusted and secured, forinstance, by means of the baseplate 40 and/or the flange 44. Appropriateadjustment means can be provided here as well.

As can be seen especially clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, between the upperbearing L1 a and the pivoting drive mounting 34, a driven element 12engages the support arm 8 and its pivoting drive 10. This driven element12, which is directly or indirectly coupled on one side to the pivotingdrive 10 and on the other side to the door 2, transmits the actuating orrotating movement of the pivoting drive 10 to the door. On the side ofthe support arm 8, the driven element 12 encompasses, for example, auniversal joint 14 and an upper arm attached thereto, particularly anupper triangular arm 16, which extends all the way to the door. Acorresponding universal joint as well as a lower arm or triangular armare also to be found, although in a non-driven embodiment, on the lowerarticulated joint G2 of the support arm 8 on the door side.

FIG. 3, which depicts a schematic sectional view along the line III-IIIof FIG. 1, shows further details of this construction for purposes ofillustrating a first articulated joint variant realized with a pivotingdrive mounting 34. For the sake of clarity, the ribs 50 are not shown inFIG. 3.

As indicated in FIG. 3, the pivoting drive 10 has a hollow driven shaft54 into which a bearing pin or hinge pin 56 engages non-rotatably with afirst lower pin area. The hinge pin 56 extends flush with the pivotingaxis AD on the door side all the way through the first bearing L1 a andinto the pivoting drive mounting 34 and through its bearing plate 46 andbearing element 48 into the hollow driven shaft 54. In a first upperarea, the hinge pin 56 is non-rotatably connected to the universal joint14 (as part of the driven element 12), as a result of which thetransmission of force and torque from the pivoting drive 10 to the dooris ensured. In a second lower area, that is to say, above the hollowdriven shaft 54, the hinge pin 56 is mounted radially in the bearingelement 48 of the bearing plate 46 and, in a second upper area, in otherwords, above the universal joint 14, it is mounted radially in the eyeplate of the bearing L1 a. An axial safety mechanism is advantageouslyprovided for the hinge pin 56.

This mode of construction allows a particularly simple and effectiveassembly and disassembly of the pivoting drive 10. As is evident fromthe drawing, after the connection (attachment means 38) to the baseplate40 has been detached, in order to be completely disassembled, thepivoting drive 10 only has to be pulled downwards for a short distancethat actually corresponds to the length HW of the hollow driven shaft 54that protrudes over the front of the flange 44. As a result, therequisite height H (H>HW) of the free space beneath the pivoting drive10 is very small, which is an extremely advantageous aspect.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view analogous to FIG. 3 for purposes ofillustrating a second articulated joint variant of the support arm 8realized with the pivoting drive mounting 34. This embodiment dispenseswith the bearing plate 46 and with the bearing element 48 of thepivoting drive mounting 34 of FIG. 3. Instead, the hinge pin 56 engagesdirectly into the hollow driven shaft 54 via a radial centering fitting58 and said hinge pin 56 rests radially on said driven shaft 54.Moreover, for the transmission of the torque, the hinge pin reststangentially via its outer teeth on corresponding inner teeth of thehollow driven shaft 54. As indicated in the drawing, for example, aradial bearing 60 of the pivoting drive 10 itself can take over thefunction of the second bearing L1B of the articulated joint G1.

Additional embodiment features of the door arrangement according to theinvention can be configured, for instance, as shown and described inconjunction with the prior-art door arrangement depicted in FIG. 6.

The invention is not restricted to the above-mentioned embodiment, whichserves only to provide a general explanation of the core idea of theinvention. Rather, within the framework of the protective scope, theaircraft door arrangement according to the invention can assume numerousembodiments other than the concrete one described above. Even though, inthe above-mentioned embodiment, the pivoting drive mounting isconfigured as a separate part, the pivoting drive mounting canfundamentally also be configured integrally with the swiveling arm. Itis also possible for the driven axis of the pivoting drive to runlaterally to the hinge axis of the support arm on the door side. This isthe case, for example, when the driven axis is not connected directly tothe bearing pin or to the driven element but rather via at least anotherdriving member that is inserted laterally.

The function of the hinge pin described in the embodiment above, whichis non-rotatably connected to the driven element, can also be taken overby a driven shaft of the pivoting drive. Therefore, when it comes to thearticulated joint of the support arm on which the pivoting drivemounting is provided, the driven shaft of the pivoting drive/actuator ispart of the articulated joint mechanism and defines a partial section ofthe pivoting axis AD on the door side. The articulated joints (or partsthereof) of the support arm do not necessarily have to be bifurcated orhave a design involving an eye plate. Particularly the articulatedjoints G2, G3 and G4 can be realized through other suitable articulatedjoint or bearing means such as, for instance, ball-and-socket joints,hinges, linkage rods and the like as well as by mixed forms thereof.

The embodiment and arrangement according to the invention of thepivoting drive mounting can also be employed on the articulated jointsof the pivoting axis of the support arm on the frame side if thepivoting drive is arranged on the pivoting axis on the frame side.Moreover, based on the principle according to the invention, aircraftdoor arrangements can be realized in which the door does not swivel tothe side but rather, for instance, upwards or downwards, for example,around a horizontal axis, in the manner of a gull-wing door.

The reference numerals in the claims, in the description and in thedrawings serve merely for purposes of better elucidation of theinvention and should not be construed as limiting the scope ofprotection.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

The Numerals Stand for the Following:

-   2 door-   4 door structure-   6 door frame-   8 support arm-   10 pivoting drive-   12 driven element-   14 universal joint of 12-   16 upper triangular arm-   18 lower triangular arm-   20 contact mountings-   22 shafts-   24 guiding plates-   26 control arm-   28 force transmission means-   30 shaft of 28-   32 pivot pin of 14-   34 pivoting drive mounting-   36 support arm attachment section of 34-   38 attachment means-   40 pivoting drive attachment section/baseplate of 34-   42 passage opening in 40-   44 front section/flange of 10-   46 bearing section/bearing plate of 34-   48 bearing element in 46-   50 ribs-   52 attachment means-   54 hollow driven shaft of 1O-   56 hinge pin-   58 centering fitting-   60 radial bearing of 10-   102 support arm-   104 pivoting drive/actuator-   106 driven element-   108 bearing arrangement for 106-   110 intermediate lever-   AD pivoting axis on the door side-   AF pivoting axis on the frame side-   G1 articulated joint of 8 on the door side-   G2 articulated joint of 8 on the door side-   G3 articulated joint of 8 on the frame side-   G4 articulated joint of 8 on the frame side-   H necessary height for assembly/disassembly of 10-   HW outer length of 54 in the Y direction-   L1 a bearing-   L1 b bearing-   L2 a bearing-   L2 b bearing-   L3 a bearing-   L3 b bearing-   L4 a bearing-   L4 b bearing-   Lx additional bearing for 106-   L1B bearing, formed by 34-   X width direction-   Y height direction-   Z depth direction

1. An aircraft door arrangement, especially for an airplane, comprising:door (2); a door frame (6); a support arm (8) with a pivoting axis (AD)on the door side, on which the door (2) is mounted so as to swivel, andwith a pivoting axis (AF) on the frame side, on which the support arm(8) is mounted so as to swivel on the door frame (6), whereby at leastthe pivoting axis (AD) on the door side is defined by two articulatedjoints (G1, G2) positioned at a distance from each other in the verticaldirection (Y) of the support arm (8), of which articulated joints atleast one (G1; G2) articulated joint has two bearings (L1 a, L1 b, L2 a,L2 b) positioned at a distance from each other in the vertical direction(Y); a pivoting drive (10) that is arranged in the area of the supportarm (8) on the door side and that serves to swivel the door (2); and adriven element (12; 14, 16) that is coupled to the pivoting drive (10)and to the door (2) and that transmits an actuating movement of thepivoting drive (10) to the door (2); characterized in that, one (L1 b)of the two bearings (L1 a, L1 b) of at least one (G1) of the articulatedjoints (G1, G2) on the frame side is configured as a pivoting drivemounting (34) (L1B) to which the pivoting drive (10) is attached.
 2. Theaircraft door arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in thatrelative to the vertical direction (Y) of the support arm (8), thepivoting drive mounting (34) forms the lower bearing (L1 b, L1B) of theupper articulated joint (G1) of the two articulated joints (G1, G2). 3.The aircraft door arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterizedin that, relative to the vertical direction (Y) of the support arm (8),the pivoting drive mounting (34) forms the upper bearing (L2 a) of thelower articulated joint (G2) of the two articulated joints (G1, G2). 4.The aircraft door arrangement according to one or more of the precedingclaims, characterized in that the pivoting drive mounting (34) is aseparate part that is detachably affixed to the support arm (8) by meansof attachment means (38).
 5. The aircraft door arrangement according toone or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivotingdrive mounting (38) is configured integrally with the support arm (8).6. The aircraft door arrangement according to one or more of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the pivoting drive mounting (34)has a bearing section (46) that forms a bearing (L1 b, L1B).
 7. Theaircraft door arrangement according to one or more of the precedingclaims, characterized in that the pivoting drive mounting (34) has apivoting drive attachment section (40) extending essentially verticallywith respect to the pivoting axis (AD) on the door side, whereby thesection (40) can be connected to a front section (44) of the pivotingdrive (10).
 8. The aircraft door arrangement according to one or more ofthe preceding claims, characterized in that the pivoting drive (10) hasa support arm attachment section (36).
 9. The aircraft door arrangementaccording to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in thatthe pivoting drive mounting (34) has a driven axis (34) that is flushwith the pivoting axis (AD) of the support arm (8) on the door side. 10.The aircraft door arrangement according to one or more of the precedingclaims, characterized in that the pivoting drive mounting (34) isarranged in the pivoting axis (AD) on the door side and between the twoarticulated joints (G1, G2).
 11. The aircraft door arrangement accordingto one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that thepivoting drive (10) has a hollow driven shaft (54) into which a bearingpin (56) engages non-rotatably and extends all the way through the firstbearing (L1 a) and into the pivoting drive mounting (34), and the drivenelement (12; 14, 16) is connected non-rotatably to the hinge pin (46).12. The aircraft door arrangement according to one or more of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the bearing element (60) of thepivoting drive (10) attached to the pivoting drive mounting forms ahinge site (L1B).
 13. The aircraft door arrangement according to one ormore of the preceding claims, characterized in that a driven shaft ofthe pivoting drive (10) forms a hinge pin of the one articulated joint(G1; G2) on which the pivoting drive mounting (34) is provided, and thedriven element (12; 14, 16) is rotatably connected to the driven shaftthat forms the hinge pin.
 14. The aircraft door arrangement according toone or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drivenelement (12; 14, 16) engages the support arm (8) between a bearing (L1a) and the pivoting drive mounting (34).
 15. The aircraft doorarrangement according to one or more of the preceding claims,characterized in that the door (2) is a passenger door. 16-30.(canceled)